Device for steaming and bleaching fruit



(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 1.

c. PHELAN su HQ ELDRIDGE. DEVICE FR STEAMING AND BLEACHING FRUIT.

No. 453,658. Patented June 9,1891.

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C. PHELAN 8v H.. ELDRIDGE. DEVICE FOR STEAMING AND BLBAGHING FRUIT.

No. 453,658. Patented June 9,1891.

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Nirnn TATES PATENT OFFICE..

DEVICE FOR STEAIVIING AND BLEACHING FRUIT.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 453,658, dated June 9,1891.

Application filed-January 2, 1891. Serial No. 376,454. (No model.) Y

To all whom, it may concern:

Be it known that we, CHARLES PHELAN and I-IACKLEY ELDRIDGE, citizens ofthe United States, residing at Portland, in the county of Multnomah andState of Oregon, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inFruit Renovators and Cleaners; and we do hereby declare the following tobe full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as Willenable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and usethe same.

The object of this invention is to provide improved means for renovatingand cleaning all kinds and grades of dried or evaporated fruit by theapplication of steam or sulphur or steam and sulphur together. Thisobject is effected by means of the construction and combination ofdevices hereinafter set forth and claimed.

In the accompanying` drawings, Figure l represents a perspective view ofour improved renovator and cleaner. Fig. represents a vertical centralsection from front to rear of the same. Fig. 3 represents a verticalsection through the sulphurburning attachment at right angles to Fig. 2.Fig. ai. represents a detail view of the Watertank,the pan or boiler,and their connection.

A designates the casing of our renovator and cleaner; B, a shaftextending through said easing from front to rear; C, a standard or framein which one end of said shaft is journaled outside of said casing; D, agearwheel on the other end of said shaft outside of said casing; E, adriving-Wheel mounted on a stud attached to said casing, these twowheels meshing together, and F an open-wire cylinder mounted on andturning with the shaft This cylinder is movable endwise on said shaft7so as to protrude at will through the front of said casing, which isprovided with doors a a to allow such motion. XVhen thus protruding, itis charged with dried. or evaporated fruit and then moved. back withinthe casing. The doors are then closed again. The wire of this cylinderis preferably made in sections for convenience in cleaning it, f1ttinglover a cylindrical skeleton frame. The meshes are of course fine enoughto retain the fruit. During the rotation of this cylinder and itscontents the latter may be subjected to steam from a pipe G,communica-ting with a boiler or other means f steamsupply. A cock g inthis pipe cuts off or lets on the steam at will, the discharge beingthrough an opening in the side of the casing below said cylinder.

In many cases it is not feasible or convenn ient to obtain steam fromany external source. Ve tl'lerefore provide a furnace or fire-box Hwithin and at. the bottom of said casing and place an open pan O aboveit, but below said cylinder. This pan is supplied from a tank I on topof said casing or at some other convenient point through a pipe J, whichis coutrolled by a cock J The heat of the furnace vaporizes the water inthe pan O and causes it to ascend into the wire cylinder, moistening thefruit and thereby fresheninf.;l and cleaning it. The products ofcombustion escape from the furnace through the duc K.

Said furnace is supplied with fuel through a door 7L and provided with agate Il', an ashpit h', and an ash-door h2.

It is often necessary to apply the fumes of sulphur to certain grades ofdried fruit in order to insure their preservation. For this purpose Iemploy a si1l1)liu1'-lnnning attachment L, consisting of a fire-box Z,and a sulphur-chamber Z', arranged above it, also an ash-box Z2 at thebottom. The fire-box l and chamber l are provided with doors Z3 l", anda slide-valve Z5 opens and closes a doorway ZG between said. chamber andthe interior of the main casing below the cylinder. An outletpassage Mextends from the top of said casing to the iiue K, and is provided witha slide M', which opens and closes at will communication between saidpassage with the oven or space around said cylinder and starts thedraft.

Of course by means of the above device we may apply the sulphur, onlycutting off the steam, or the steam with no sulphur, or the steam and.sulphur together. In the latter case we may regulate the proportions ofthe two supplies according to the grade of the fruit and the treatmentneeded.

Other substances may be employed instead.

of sulphur or in addition thereto.

Having thus described our invention, what we claim as new, and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is-

1. In combination with an open-work cyl- IOC) inder and rneehanisrrL forrotating' the same, a pan under the said cylinder, a tank and pipe forsupplying; the said pan with water, a ealorifie device under the saidpan for Converting` vthe Contents of the latter into steam, a easingwhich ineloses the said cylinder, pan, and calorie device, and anoutlet-flue from said easing, substantially as set forth.

2. The casing; A, in combination with a tank I, attached to andsupported on its top, a pan arranged Within said casing, a pipeextending from said tank to said pan, an attachment L, fastened to theside of said easing and provided with a fire-box, and a chamber forsupplying` sulphur fumes to the interior of Said easing', a fire-box orfurnace under the

